Coupling.



E. H. SCHMIDT.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 29, 1910.

1,017,630. Patented Feb. 13,1912.

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UNITED sTATEs rATENT OEEIOE. ERNEST H. SCHMIDT, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIONOE To THE NATIONAL MALLE- ABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OE CLEvELAND,OHIO, A CORPORATION OE OHIO.

COUPLING.

To all who/mit may concern:

Be it known that I, EnNEsT H. SCHMIDT, a resident of Cleveland, in thecounty of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in OQuplers, of which the following is a full, clear, andeXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a sectionalplan view showing one form of my improved coupler, the section beingtaken on the irregular line -I-I of Fig.l 2; Fig. 2 is a sectional sideelevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevation; Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a det-ail cross sectionon the line V-V of Fig. 6, showing the intertting of the hook surfaces;and Fig. G is a sectional plan view showing two couplers interlocked.

My invention relates to couplers adapted particularly for street railwayservice and the object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheapand effective device of this character.

One of the objects of the invention is to arrange the interlocking -hookmembers so that gravity will tend to t-urn them to normal position, anda further object is to pro vide an automatic centering arrangement.

Another object is to provide such intertting engagement of the hooks aswill give a lock-to-the-lock feature.

In the drawings, 2 represents the head of the coupler, whose outersurface is flared outwardly and forwardly at the sides. One of theseflaring portions 3 is recessed in angular or wedge-shaped form, as shownat 4, while on the opposite side is a similarly Shaped forwardlyprojecting web portion 5, arranged to enter the corresponding recess tof the interlocking coupler. The recess and projection extend rearwardlyand forwardly, respectively, from the flat buffing face G, into whichthe flaring sides of the head merge.

The angular beveled recess and the corresponding projection act to guidethe couplers into exact alinement with each other for coupling, whetherthe couplers are out of alinement either vertically or horizontally.Wrhen the couplers are in bufiing contact, the fiat buing faces alsoassist these wedge portions in maintaining proper alinement.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 29, 1910.

Iatcnted Feb. 13, 1912.

Serial No. 594,689.

Through the rear portion of the co-upler head or shank extends ahorizontal pivot pin 7, on which is pivoted the coupling or hook member8, whose thickness is much less than the vertical height of the couplercavity, so that the hook may swing in a vertical direction on this pivotwithin this cavity. In its normal horizontal position, the flat lowerface of the hook rests on the Hat floor of this cavity, and ispreferably firmly pressed against the floor by means of a spiral spring9, inserted between the hook and the roof of the cavity. This springpreferably engages a suitably shaped upwardlyy projecting boss l0 on thehook member and a recess 11 in the roof of the coupler head, whichrecess may be formed within an upwardly projecting boss cast integralwith the head. The projecting end portion 8FL of this hook member ishookshaped and is also provided with top and bottom faces which convergetoward each other outwardly, giving a wedge shape in verticallongitudinal section. The side edges are also curved, preferably on ataper to give a sort of arrow head shape. These four tapering faces areclearly shown in Fig. 3, thus forming a point at the front end of thehook. Owing to this pointed shape of the hook, when the couplersapproach each other, one of the hook members will be lifted by thesloping faces of the other against the compression of its spring 9. Thisaction will continue until both hook members have entered suficientlyfar within the opposing draw heads so that their pulling faces l2 willinterlock, uponv which, the spring 9, assisted byV gravity, will ret-urnthe lifted hookmember to its normal position rest-ing upon the lowerwall of its coupler head. In this position, the couplers are firmlyinterlocked, as shown in Fig. 6, and are in position for either buffingor draft.

In order to provide a lock-to-the-lock or an anti-creeping device, whileallowing for disengagement of the hooks, I form the sur` faces 13 in theneck of the hook concave, and the outer surfaces 14 of the hook convex,so that when the two hooks are in interlocking engagement, these convexand concave surfaces will interlit, as shown in Fig. 5, which is a crosssection on the line V-V of Fig. 6. There are, of course, two sets ofthese convex and concave surfaces in engagement when the hooks areinterlocked, and this provides for the lock-to-the-lock, preventingaccidental disengagement or creeping upwardly of one of the hooksrelatively to the other. The action of the concave and convex surfaces,respectively, in forming a lock-to-the-lock, is further assisted by thefact that the surfaces 12 of the hooks are undercut, instead of being atright angles to the line of draft. This gives the hooks a tendency todraw laterally toward each other When a tension is put on them, andmakes it still more ditlicult for them to become accidentally unlocked,as long as this tension is exerted.

I preferably provide the interior of the coupling head with a rib 2a,depending from the upper Wall thereof, for the purpose of assisting theportions 4 and 5 in bringing two approaching couplers into alinement.lll/*hen one of the hook members is lifted against the compression ofits spring as it approaches the other hook member, the lifted hook Willbe raised sufliciently high to come into engagement with this curved ribportion of the coupler head Which it is entering. In case theapproaching coupler and raised hook are out of line with the couplerwhich is about to receive the hook, this rib will help to guide the hookmember and coupler and center them in a manner similar to theprojections 5 and recesses t.

Various forms of uncoupling mechanism may be provided with this form ofcoupler, as all that is necessary is to swing one of the hooks upwardlyagainst the action of its spring in order to unlock. In the form shown,I provide an unlocking lever 15, which is transversely pivoted to lugs1G, at the bottom of the coupler head, and is provided with a cam-shapedend 17, so arrangedy that when the lever is pulled down, by anengagement of an uncoupling connection With its eye 18, the cam Willforce the hook upwardly by rolling and sliding contact therewith, thusfreeing it from the opposing hook by upward movement against thepressure of the spring. This lever will give sutlicient pressure toforce one of the hooks upwardly,'in spite of the recess connectionbetween their surfaces. It Will be understood that I dov not Wish tolimit myself to this form of unlocking mechanism, as other means forforcing one' of the hooks upwardly may be easily devised.

I have shown the coupler shank 19 as forming a portion of a draftrigging, a part only of which rigging is illustrated, 2O being one ofthe springs therefor. This draft rigging, however, forms no part of thepresent invention, but is covered in a separate application filedconcurrently herewith.

The advantages of my invention Will be apparent to those skilled in theart. Owing to the horizontal positioning of the pivot, gravity assiststhe action of the springs in holding the hooks in normal position andthe concave and convex surfaces prevent accidental disengagement and actas lockto-the-lock. Flat buiiing faces are provided and at the sametime, the hooks are guided into proper interlocking relation by the webshaped recesses and projections, as Well as by the pointed shape of thehook. rI`he coupler is simple, eifective in action and not liable to getout of order.

I claim:

1. A coupler having at one side a tapering recess and at the other sidea tapering projection, said parts being arranged to coact With a similarrecess and projection on an opposing coupler to center the parts, thecoupler head also having an interior guiding and centering rib, and avertically movable hook member, the said rib acting as a guide for theentering similar hook member of an opposing coupler, substantially asdescribed.

2. A coupler having at one side a tapering recess and at the other sidea tapering projection, said parts being arranged to coact with a similarrecess and projection on an opposing coupler to center the parts, thecoupler head also having an interior guiding and centering rib, said ribextending downwardly from the upper inner Wall of the head, and avertically movable hook member, the said rib acting as a guide for theentering similar hook member of an 0pposing coupler, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

renner n. soriMinfr.

1rWitnesses CHESTER K. BROOKS, Frito J. TRUMPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

